This Time and Every Time It"s Personal

In case you hadn't noticed this blog is my entirely personal and eclectic view of the world. Organisations I belong to disown me and every word of this thing - long before the cock crows. I blog what I want and I blogit when when I want. I rarely delete comments and will generally carry corrections and observations prominently on request. This time, and every time ... it's personal.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

While John Mann MP twists the knife in Tory embezzler Derek Conway's chest by asking the Commissioner to probe elder son Henry as well as young Freddy, the Lib Dem PPC for Bexley Heath and Sidcup and gratuitous Shilpa Shetty blogger Duncan Borrowman says he's sent a letter to the Met Police asking them to investigate what looks like Criminal Fraud and prosecute as necessary:

Dear Commander Mawer,I write to you concerning the verdict of the House of Commons Standards and Privileges Committee regarding the activities of my local Member of Parliament, Derek Conway MP.I note that the Committee has stated that Mr Conway's son Frederick (FC) was:"unlikely to be able to meet his contractual commitments"and"no records appear to exist of either actual work that FC did for his father, or the work he was required to undertake…no-one outside of the Conway family was aware of the work."further, they state:"We note that FC seems to have been all but invisible during the period of his employment,"and"This arrangement was, at the least, an improper use of Parliamentary allowances: at worst it was a serious diversion of public funds. Our view is that the reality may well be somewhere between the two."From the statements given by the committee it is clear that there is primae facie evidence that criminal fraud may have taken place, and I ask that you investigate the activities of Mr Conway in this context.I should declare that I am Mr Conway's Liberal Democrat opponent at the next General Election, but believe this issue is important enough, especially in the present climate, to warrant police investigation.Yours sincerelyDuncan Borrowman

LOL remember watching Chris Huhne on the Daily Politics claiming he'd sent a letter to Durham Police about planning corruption - strangely in an area where Development Control is in the hands of his own party - but looked a bit sheepish when Andrew Neill reported that the letter hadn't yet reached the police. "Was in the process of writing" perhaps? "Was minded to write a letter soon"?

The same has happened again. The police still haven't got Borrowman's sent letter, reproduced on his website yesterday afternoon. The reason? Apparently the unstoppable Lib Dem loveanti-corruption machine applied a second class stamp to the envelope.

Let's hope that when the missive does reach its destination it will be more effective than Huhne's very silly cry-babery and police time wastage.

BREAKING NEWS: Dithering Cameron has done a U-turn and withdrawn the whip from Derek Conway.

4 comments:

When it is late at night, and the quickest way to get a letter in the post is to put one of the 2nd class stamps in your wallet on the envelope, that is what you do. Let's face it, a one day delay in the envelope arriving won't change the result of any investigation will it.Shilpa Shetty wasn't gratuitous. I have taken a strong line on animal rights, and that blog posting in the middle of the Big Brother rowpointed at her campaigning for Peta.

conway is a disgrace and it would serve him right if he had his collar felt. i feel that all mps should be forbidden from employing family memebers as "staff"it would be interesting to see a list of who MPs employ. I also feel that all candidates standing for council should produce a current enhanced CRB form.although for obvious reasons manchester Labour would be aginst this

Hi Duncan I would have put two second class stamps on myself. Often do that in fact. 2nd class can take five days after all. Though in Manchester City Centre it gets next day delivery to most Manchester postcodes.

It is amusing though, isn't it? And I'd say that unlike you Huhne hadn't actually got his letter in the post when he started bigging himself up. But that is a guess of course. But he looked sooo embarrassed on the Daily Politics.

Did you spot BBC News 24 captioning Department turning you into an MP yesterday?? Sadly I didn't get the camera out in time.

Let's see Conway in jail ASAP. Tories trying to make out that Wendy Alexander or Alan Johnson is as bad as feeding £50,000 and counting to sons with no trace of any work outputs is crazy stuff.

Perhaps some Lib Dem bloggers could stand back a minute and question that non-equivalence?

BHT: Agree on Conway. But don't have any problem with MPs genuinely employing flesh and blood - though pin money for students in term time is not on. Really annoyed the Foreign Office mandarins having Beckett's hubby on the team.

Your point about CRB checking is a complete non sequitor and off topic. Perhaps you would explain what you mean? School Governors of course have Enhanced CRB these days and that accounts for many councillors. Not sure it would be very democratic to insist on ECRB for candidates. Takes a lot of time, and some money.

Stick it in a blog comment if it is not defamatory. By email to me direct if there is a genuine story there but you're not sure of the legals.

At the moment you seem to be insinuating something about candidates in general and Manchester Labour candidates in particular. That looks like a smear unless you have some substance to offer.